Great essay about a very sad situation. TPWD has always been underfunded in spite of bloviation to the contrary. In 1993, the Lege passed a law dedicating the sales tax on sporting goods to TPWD. In spite of that, subsequent legislatures kept raiding that pot of money to pad the state budget. It took a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT in 2015 to require that the sporting goods sales tax actually went to TPWD. (Thank you, Joe Straus!)
Of course, TPWD does not get enough revenue to meet all its needs. This problem is even more serious as Texas becomes more urbanized and developed.
Unfortunately, we have to look to average citizens for leadership rather than those in political office or those in the upper ranks of agency staff. With rare exception, the politicians are responsive to money and power, and the heads of agencies have to keep everyone happy, especially the politicians.
And that leaves you, Misti, and your readers to try to inspire and encourage public support for nature. I think that there are a lot of people who actually care about the land, but those are generally those with only modest money and power. We're a sizable chunk of the population - maybe a majority - but we don't act like it.
You are more on target than you think. I am a retired TPWD employee who was park manager at Fairfield Lake from 1985 through 2001. This is an example of woefully inadequate government. It is a disgrace that this is happening. The writing has been on the wall for years, I wrote the following announcement years ago.
This note was drafted in November of 2011
An Annual Event?
For the second year in a row, a major fish kill has been reported at Fairfield Lake State park. Problem is I visited the park every week throughout September and I only saw a few dead shad along the shore.
Something’s Fishy!
Consider the following:
- Major summertime fish kills have only occurred since Luminant took over Big Brown, yet these fish kills are now considered to be an annual event, prompting TPWD to halt future fish stocking which will also serve to prohibit future visitation at the park
- Fairfield Lake’s level is controllable, TU used to keep it up to a higher level.
- The only major environmental factor to have changed is the lake level.
- The Lignite supply has become unprofitable to procure; hence the mine is closing down.
- The EPA is enforcing new regulations, resulting in extensive costs that cut into profits.
- The ageing power plant is getting less and less cost effective due to increased maintenance.
- Big Brown has to compete with newer, more efficient, more profitable plants like Calpine.
- Word among the local state park rangers is that the regional director would like nothing better than “to get shed of” Fairfield Lake State Park so that the operating budget would be spent on parks owned by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (Fairfield Lake S.P. is leased from Luminant}
So, what would you do if you had just bought an old car that used a fuel that was no longer available locally, that failed to meet clean air regulations and was getting more and more expensive to keep up? Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, the parts of your car are extremely sought after by collectors! (Real estate agents)
So read the writing on the wall:
*Incremental visitation losses, low water levels, run down facilities and exaggerated fish kills will support any future decision to close this park or transfer operation to another entity other than TPWD (a current pattern).
*TPWD replaced the boat dock with a non-typical style floating dock that are of a more temporary nature compare to the more permanent the style found in state parks owned by TPWD.
*The 1,460 acres of prime lakefront property contained in the state park has millions of dollars of improvements including three water wells, two wastewater systems, and miles of existing roadways just waiting to be divided into gated communities.
*It just may be that Luminant secured this site to operate for a few years and then salvage the remaining resources in order to write off as a loss, a done deal from the get-go.
GET READY TO SAY GOODBY TO FAIRFIELD LAKE STATE PARK, OR DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT !!!!!!!!
CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN, STATE REPRESENATIVE, TPWD, ANYBODY, BUT DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN!
A concerned citizen
12 DAMNED YEAS AGO!!!
Does the general public understand the millions of dollars of taxpayer dollars that have been invested in this property?
Does TPWD have such weak lawyers and leadership as to let this property go to developers in VIOLATION OF THEIR MISSION STATEMENT? Is somebody getting kickbacks from this?
Why doesn’t the State use eminent domain to simply claim this property for the citizens of Texas? Let’s put this up to a vote!
Has the Environmental Protection Agency been contacted about this? The site is a nesting site for the endangered Interior Least Tern and a important wintering site for our National Symbol, the Bald Eagle, not to mention numerous protected bird of prey species.
Well, I’m sure going to make contact to as many agencies as I can and I suggest that you do the same. Please, Please, Please share this with as many people as possible and let’s not let this happen!
Great essay about a very sad situation. TPWD has always been underfunded in spite of bloviation to the contrary. In 1993, the Lege passed a law dedicating the sales tax on sporting goods to TPWD. In spite of that, subsequent legislatures kept raiding that pot of money to pad the state budget. It took a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT in 2015 to require that the sporting goods sales tax actually went to TPWD. (Thank you, Joe Straus!)
Of course, TPWD does not get enough revenue to meet all its needs. This problem is even more serious as Texas becomes more urbanized and developed.
Unfortunately, we have to look to average citizens for leadership rather than those in political office or those in the upper ranks of agency staff. With rare exception, the politicians are responsive to money and power, and the heads of agencies have to keep everyone happy, especially the politicians.
And that leaves you, Misti, and your readers to try to inspire and encourage public support for nature. I think that there are a lot of people who actually care about the land, but those are generally those with only modest money and power. We're a sizable chunk of the population - maybe a majority - but we don't act like it.
You are more on target than you think. I am a retired TPWD employee who was park manager at Fairfield Lake from 1985 through 2001. This is an example of woefully inadequate government. It is a disgrace that this is happening. The writing has been on the wall for years, I wrote the following announcement years ago.
This note was drafted in November of 2011
An Annual Event?
For the second year in a row, a major fish kill has been reported at Fairfield Lake State park. Problem is I visited the park every week throughout September and I only saw a few dead shad along the shore.
Something’s Fishy!
Consider the following:
- Major summertime fish kills have only occurred since Luminant took over Big Brown, yet these fish kills are now considered to be an annual event, prompting TPWD to halt future fish stocking which will also serve to prohibit future visitation at the park
- Fairfield Lake’s level is controllable, TU used to keep it up to a higher level.
- The only major environmental factor to have changed is the lake level.
- The Lignite supply has become unprofitable to procure; hence the mine is closing down.
- The EPA is enforcing new regulations, resulting in extensive costs that cut into profits.
- The ageing power plant is getting less and less cost effective due to increased maintenance.
- Big Brown has to compete with newer, more efficient, more profitable plants like Calpine.
- Word among the local state park rangers is that the regional director would like nothing better than “to get shed of” Fairfield Lake State Park so that the operating budget would be spent on parks owned by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (Fairfield Lake S.P. is leased from Luminant}
So, what would you do if you had just bought an old car that used a fuel that was no longer available locally, that failed to meet clean air regulations and was getting more and more expensive to keep up? Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, the parts of your car are extremely sought after by collectors! (Real estate agents)
So read the writing on the wall:
*Incremental visitation losses, low water levels, run down facilities and exaggerated fish kills will support any future decision to close this park or transfer operation to another entity other than TPWD (a current pattern).
*TPWD replaced the boat dock with a non-typical style floating dock that are of a more temporary nature compare to the more permanent the style found in state parks owned by TPWD.
*The 1,460 acres of prime lakefront property contained in the state park has millions of dollars of improvements including three water wells, two wastewater systems, and miles of existing roadways just waiting to be divided into gated communities.
*It just may be that Luminant secured this site to operate for a few years and then salvage the remaining resources in order to write off as a loss, a done deal from the get-go.
GET READY TO SAY GOODBY TO FAIRFIELD LAKE STATE PARK, OR DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT !!!!!!!!
CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN, STATE REPRESENATIVE, TPWD, ANYBODY, BUT DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN!
A concerned citizen
12 DAMNED YEAS AGO!!!
Does the general public understand the millions of dollars of taxpayer dollars that have been invested in this property?
Does TPWD have such weak lawyers and leadership as to let this property go to developers in VIOLATION OF THEIR MISSION STATEMENT? Is somebody getting kickbacks from this?
Why doesn’t the State use eminent domain to simply claim this property for the citizens of Texas? Let’s put this up to a vote!
Has the Environmental Protection Agency been contacted about this? The site is a nesting site for the endangered Interior Least Tern and a important wintering site for our National Symbol, the Bald Eagle, not to mention numerous protected bird of prey species.
Well, I’m sure going to make contact to as many agencies as I can and I suggest that you do the same. Please, Please, Please share this with as many people as possible and let’s not let this happen!
It’s sad to see a reversal like this when habitats are dwindling rapidly.